I Never Told You
by The-Lithe-And-Lethal
Summary: What if Karai has always had feelings for Leo, but no courage to admit it? What if she, with the four brothers, try to take Shredder down when he is at his strongest point? What if she never gets a chance to tell him how she feels before it all goes down in flames?
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! I thought a prologue would better suit this story so you have a glimpse of the future. And yes, you have my permission to skim over the first chapter but the rest must be read. Please review and tell me if I should change the summary or anything else. This one is going to be short because I can't give too much away. Please enjoy it.**

 **Prologue**

The stars shone bright, concealing the dim glow of the moon. Silver cut the sky, slicing and hacking at what it could. Sharp on sharp shattered what was left of the world. All the lines had long since blurred, having been crossed one too many times. This was the case in an empty building in the middle of New York City.

Karai felt herself slipping deeper into the void. She lay on the cement floor, her cheek pressed into the cold tiles. Her head pounded, thrumming along with every beat of her heart. Her chest ached with every breath, signaling something was wrong. She wasn't surprised. Karai couldn't move, sleep tugging at her mind. It begged her to let go, encouraged her to join it in the darkness. Karai fought it, knowing if she let it take her, her eyes might never open again. No. Not now. Oh, but it would be so easy to give in...

The sound of metal on metal rang in her ears, bringing Karai back to the cruel reality. No, have to get up. Must help… She pried her eyes fully open and lifted her head off the ground. The two males fought vigorously, never giving up an inch of ground. The stone eyes themselves clashed. Their feet moved in a dance, but not the elegant grace that the fights usually consisted of. This was a boss battle. For her.

Get up. Karai steered her mind and focused it into that single thought. Get up, get up. She ground her teeth, watching the shadows of the two as she pushed herself to her knees. Come on…

A shriek ripped through the air, freezing Karai in place. She knew that scream. No, no, no. She forced herself to look up, the scene making her breath catch in her throat. The first held his wounded shoulder and said something she couldn't hear. He lashed out at the second only to be shoved backwards. Karai's eyes widened. No, no, no, no...please. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain screaming at her, and charged. The second watched her as she reached out for him. He caught her wrist and flipped her onto the floor. Karai couldn't breathe. The first rushed in to save her, only to be kicked back down.

Time slowed as the first hit the ground, hard enough to break bones. Karai tried to scream, tears streaming down her face. The blade of the second leveled with the first's forehead. The second raised the blade above his head just as she found her voice.

"Get up!" She yelled, the second's foot connected with her ribs, sending her sliding across the floor. The first closed his eyes, knowing he was done for.

The clock slowed just for him. Tick. He whipped his head towards Karai. Tock. Karai raised her head and met the first's eyes. Tick. No, please. Don't give up. Tock. The blade whistled as it was raised high. Tick. The first opened his mouth, but his eyes spoke for him instead. Tock. _Run. Don't look back._ Tick. The blade slammed down. Tock. A scream. Tick. Then, nothing. Tock.

 **You guys are great. Please review and tell me how I can make this more interesting and how I can change the summary to pull more readers in. Thanks for bearing with me on this one. =)**


	2. Chapter 1: The Meeting

**This is my first fan fiction so please take it easy on me. Also will soon be publishing my series of fan fiction on here so reviews on this would be awesome. I am sorry if the characters seem out of place. I made this as quickly as possible top test out the website. Anyway I will stop jabbering and let you read. Enjoy!**

Karai had never felt so free. She ran on the rooftops with the wind blowing behind her. This was how things were supposed to be. She belonged to no one. She could live in this moment forever. She was so caught in the feeling of the stars watching from above, Karai almost forgot why she was here. A shadowed figure had been running off to her side for quite some time. She rolled her eyes. Karai had forgotten long ago that he was there. However, there was no mistaking the blue lights smiling at her from the darkness. He wasn't trying to be stealthy. What was the point if she was already aware of his presence?

Sometimes she wondered why he tried so hard to befriend her. She was the last person on earth that deserved love of any kind. No one had ever loved her. Karai had never loved anyone either. That emotion meant nothing to her.

Karai stopped running as the cathedral appeared ahead. Her eyes narrowed. This had once been her home. The Shredder had pretended she was his daughter. She could almost hear his voice, gruff and low.

" _Well done Karai."_

" _Dispatch of them immediately."_

" _The consequences would be...unfortunate."_

Hands clenched in fists, Karai let her follower catch up. He wasn't tired, he simply didn't want to get his head lopped off if she didn't want him there. Karai knew why he was hanging back, but she didn't bother herself with saying she wouldn't kill him as soon as she saw him. Leo finally walked up next to her, taking in the cathedral with the tassels of his mask fluttering in the breeze. One of them flicked Karai in the face, but she didn't say anything about it. She needed him. If she scared him off now, which she didn't think was possible because he always came back, she would never take down the one man she hated the most.

Karai glanced at her friend, or the closest thing she had to one. She had lead him here, hoping he would catch on to her plan. Instead he looked at her with eyes that seemed to stare straight through her, to see past her secrets, her barriers, to see who she truly was through the masked emotions. She met his gaze with her hard amber eyes.

"What is this about Karai?" Leo asked. Karai crossed her arms.

"So you follow me all the way here just to ask me a dumb question that has the answer blatantly staring at you?" Karai smirked as she spoke.

"If this is about stealing something you can count me out." He said. Karai sighed. Did she have to spell it out for him?

"Leo, I brought you here so I could…" Karai stopped herself. She was awful at this kind of thing. "...Ask you for help." Leo raised a nonexistent brow and gave her a smirk of his own.

"Help with what?" He asked slowly, clearly waiting for her response. Karai rolled her eyes. He was so stupid, so dorky, but he was still; adorable. She looked at the cathedral for a second so Leo wouldn't see the surprise in her eyes. Where had that thought come from? Karai shook her head and focused her eyes back on Leo.

"I need to take care...of Daddy Dear." She said finally. Leo stopped grinning and gave her a hard stare.

"Not alone." Leo's voice was so stern, she felt a sudden image to comply to his wishes.

"That is where the 'help' part comes in. If you're up for it, we could take Shredder down." She responded. He gave her a look that said, 'Yeah, no.' "Come on.'' She searched for the right words. "I've seen you fight, together, we can take him down." Leo blushed a bit, but didn't waver. Karai sighed. "Look, I know you don't have a reason to attack Shredder, but I'll bet your hothead brother has been pestering you about it. He always wants to jump into that kind of stuff." Leo sighed and met her gaze with those shocking ice blue eyes.

"If you come down to the lair tonight, we'll go over it with my brothers."

"I thought you were the leader." Karai scoffed.

"In a situation like this, where someone could get killed, I would rather have their opinion than not." Karai nodded as if she agreed. However deep down inside, she was brewing up a recipe for revenge.


	3. Chapter 2: Deception

The wind often blew in odd directions in New York City. It carried messages as it wove through the streets. _A storm is brewing. Tonight the world burns._ However, tonight, the wind carried two dark shadows. Both seemed intent on reaching their destination. The wind blew across their faces, trying to turn them back the way they came, to avoid the clash rising up on them. To avoid the pain the man in armor would cause. To avoid the time it would take for wounds to heal.

Karai glanced at Leo as he ran, his form perfect as he leapt carefully from rooftop to rooftop. She wished she didn't have to deceive him this way. However, she knew she couldn't defeat Shredder on her own. Maybe, just maybe, if she let him win once, she could destroy him while the others kept him distracted. Even after all they had done to help her, the revenge of her mother was more important. Karai shook her head. Maybe there was another way, and...why in the world did she feel so torn?

"You okay?" Leo's calm voice pierced her mind. She kept her eyes ahead so that her expression wouldn't deceive her.

"Fine. Going over my oral speech."

"Friendly."

Leo looked at Karai again. Her hair blew in her face as she ran, her pale skin capturing the moonlight perfectly. Her eyes matched the night, both dark and sharp, blending in with the shadows. Leo sighed inwardly. If he could turn back time and save her sooner he would have. Now it was too late. Still, he was happy she was by his side. Just a year ago he wasn't sure if she would survive her mutation intact. That was behind them.

Karai caught Leo staring at her and smirked. He blushed furiously and turned his eyes back ahead, coming face-to-face with a chimney. Leo ricocheted off the bricks like a ping-pong ball, sliding across the roof a couple feet before coming to a stop. He groaned, already feeling a bruise form on his face. Leo could hear Karai laughing at him, like 'that's what you get for staring.' He sat up, angry that he had let himself appear so careless in her presence. His face was a bright red from embarrassment and the fact that Karai was doubled over wasn't helping. But, she did have a beautiful laugh.

Their eyes met and Karai let out one last chuckle before Leo stood up. She glanced at him.

"Would you like to make any other stops along the way, Leo?" She asked, a teasing tone to top off her voice. Leo responded by blushing and running across the rooftop. Karai followed, still smiling. He was such a dork. _No. I can't think like that._ She wiped the smile off of her face and followed her friend with the mask replaced. She wasn't going to let Leo of all people see. Karai would never let anyone in. Especially someone she didn't deserve.

Leo, oblivious to Karai's conflicting face, was repeatedly mentally slapping his forehead. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Had to pull a Donnie didn't I? Right in front of her. Ugh. She must think I am out of my mind. Or helplessly in love with her._ Leo almost stopped running at the last one. Yes, he had had a crush on Karai for a long time, but did he truly love her? His mind was always a muddle around her. He could barely think straight. The nearest entry to the sewer interrupted his thinking. Not wanting to clumsily drop from the fire escape because he was watching her lithe figure, Leo simply jumped down. Soon, Karai stood beside him.

"You sure you want to see them?" Leo asked her.

"How else am I going to convince the others about attacking? Besides, your brothers aren't _that_

awful." Karai jumped down into the darkness, lost for a moment until Leo landed next to her. She let out a breath of relief she didn't realize she had been holding. _Get yourself together._ Karai thought as she entered the darkness. A cold hand grasped hers and her eyes widened in surprise. Without thinking, she closed her fingers around Leo's. The last thought she had before they began trekking through the sewage was, _Father._


	4. Chapter 3: Remember

Chapter 3: Remember

The maze went on forever. The sewers stretched in front of Karai as far as she could see. She knew the way to the lair but she was okay with the fact that she wasn't alone. The sewer tunnel split in two. Karai started to head left, taking the shortcut, but Leo pulled her in the opposite direction. Karai knew Leo was taking detours but she didn't call him out on it. It gave her more time to remember.

 _"Father, he isn't there. This is our chance to yank the city back." Karai said angrily. Splinter had followed her up to the surface and had caught her on the roof over Shredder's lair. He eyed the cathedral. The wind blew across his face, whipping his whiskers around. His elegant figure stood strong although his age was beginning to catch up with him. The cathedral seemed to be empty, but Splinter had learned from the past years how looks can be deceiving._

 _"The Shredder bids his time, Miwa. He is crafty, ready to strike at any given moment." Splinter looked at his daughter. "We must wait." Karai met his gaze, not giving up._

 _"This has to end, Father. He will never stop hunting us. This is the only way to end his tyranny." Splinter only shook his head._

 _"Revenge only causes more pain, Miwa. You should know this." He sounded a little impatient, which was unusual for Splinter. Karai took no notice of it, simply casting a sour look at her father. Even when the Shredder had killed his wife, Karai's mother, wounded his sons, and kidnapped her while feeding her lies about her past, Splinter still insisted on lying in wait, saying they were finally a family again. She didn't even know what a family was, much less how to act like she belonged in one._

 _Splinter put a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. She noted his gaze had softened._

 _"I understand how hard this is for you, but I cannot lose another. You must learn to let this go, Miwa. Revenge never goes as planned and it usually ends up hurting someone close to you." He pulled her into a quick hug, even though she was still seething. "Let us go home." Karai nodded slightly, her face still contorted. She was already planning her revenge on the Shredder. And she wasn't going to be patient about it._

Karai froze unable to move. The memory had shaken her to the core. She felt a wave of fresh nausea crash over her as she practically fell flat on her face. Karai shivered uncontrollably while tears stained her face. She didn't want to go back. She'd see grief-filled faces. She'd see them staring at her. All her fault. Gone. Gone. Gone.

The scent of Japanese flowers curled under her nose, teasing her into glancing up, trying to catch a glimpse of what wasn't there. Karai lowered her head again, almost unable to breathe. Calm brown eyes clouded her vision, ending when they bored into hers. Why? Tears swamped her, almost washing away the horror. Red mixed with water as the vision of her father split in two. No. She cried harder. Never meant to end like that.

The constant thuds of Leo's pacing stopped. Karai's teeth clenched as she wiped away her tears, as she pushed herself to her knees, supporting herself with her arms.

"Karai!" Leo hurried to sit beside her. "Are you okay?" Karai didn't even care that he was holding her hand. No. Not now. Why in front of him? It always had to be Leo, didn't it. He had always been able to see right through her, able to tell when she was lying, and able to tell when she was hurting the most. She quickly wiped her eyes with her wrist.

"Personal space, Leo?" She said, her voice cracking a bit. He helped her up. Karai glanced at Leo. She could see the concern in his eyes, but she didn't acknowledge him. His eyes quickly took on recognition. He knew. Of course he knew. Leo held a hand out to her with the ghost of a smile on his face, offering to help her stand. She almost slapped it away, but instead Karai rocked on her heels and rose to her feet. His eyes flashed briefly with hurt and grief, but it was soon gone.

"I'm sorry." Leo whispered. Karai leaned against the tunnel wall and gave him a harsh look.

"Don't even start." She snapped. "Shredder is going to pay for that." Leo only shook his head.

"Revenge never works like you want it to Karai." His blue eyes calmly watched her. Karai straightened. She had had enough of this. Instead of responding, she barged past him, knowing the way. the visions of her father's proud face creased with disappointment floated in front of her. As hard as Karai tried she couldn't get rid of them. Fine. She told the visions. Stay. See what it does. After all I'm just a stupid plaything for anyone to order around. No wonder Leo had always been hers. He didn't threat her with death, try to kill her, or try to make her someone she wasn't.

Karai shoved her thoughts to the side, not wanting to deal with them anymore. Tonight, this tyranny would end. She'd be free. She'd be flying in the wind, doing whatever she pleased. She would be free to leave. Then why did she feel so scared?


	5. Chapter 4: Respond

**Okay, let me plead for my life. I AM SO SORRY I DIDN'T POST FOREVER! There. Of course, you can't see that I was not down on my knees but that is alright with me. There are only four days left of school, counting our field trip tomorrow, the last half-day, and our graduation. So yeah, summer is coming around the corner. Please review, I am a newbie on this website and it is a little hard for me to write fluently without feedback. Thank you! Enjoy!**

" _Miwa, please go home." Splinter pleaded with his daughter as they again stood on a rooftop overlooking Shredder's lair. This time Karai would not be moved. She glared at her father with pure hatred in her eyes._

" _He has taken so much from me. Finally, it is his turn." Karai could hear the venom dripping off every word. She was not going to sit around while the man that had used her for her whole life controlled half the city._

" _Miwa…"_

" _I've had enough father." She snapped. "Shredder has already tried to kill you once. How long will it take before you finally get the message. The only way to be free is to take him down." With that, she jumped backwards off the building, leaving Splinter gazing at her sadly. How badly had Shredder hurt her for her to feel this way? He sighed and dropped to his knees, staying out of sight, yet watching his daughter without doing anything drastic. Him stumbling onto the scene would make matters worse. Besides he had the element of surprise on his side._

 _Karai drew closer, too blinded by rage to notice the shadows, too stubborn to realize she had already given away her position. The clinking in the alley was dismissed as the clinks of her armor rubbing together. The drawing of swords was ignored, masked by the sound of her own blade coming out of the sheath. Luckily for Karai, the sound of the trash can behind her tipping over caught her attention. She whipped around, securing her mask over her face. The darkness surrounded her as she backed slowly against the wall of the cathedral. Good. She thought. Less area to watch._

 _The bricks under her feet gave no vibration, indicating that perhaps she was alone. But Karai knew better. The Shredder had taught her the same way. Were the regular Foot soldiers who had once fought beside her becoming more deadly and dangerous under the Shredder? Maybe these weren't the same nincompoops that had made up the Foot. And if Shredder was training them the same way...she was in trouble._

 _Still, although she was in plain sight, nothing moved. Karai smirked. Apparently her reputation was still branded in the memory of the Foot. Karai swiveled her tanto in her hand, pointing it toward the darkness. Let's see what these swine are made of._

" _Afraid to show yourself?" She taunted. "I promise not to kill you too quickly." She knew she was pulling strings and wasting her time, but this was the most fun she had been able to thoroughly enjoy for a while. Nothing emerged from the shadows. Karai stood their, in a fighting stance for quite some time, watching the darkness around her. Finally, not letting her guard down, she moved her head to the left. It was that movement that saved her life. An enemy pounced from the shadows to strike her down. Too bad he didn't know what he was dealing with…_

The shadows seemed to hold their breaths in, pulsing with the same heartbeat as the girl who visited them often. Karai had been taught to embrace the darkness like a brother, but right now, it was her enemy. She couldn't see Leo's expression and he kept his steps so well paced that Karai couldn't tell what he was thinking from his body language either. The only positive thing to her was the fact that he couldn't see her face either.

The water beneath her soaked her feet but that was the least of her worries. The big deal was the fact that the brothers may not accept her or even acknowledge her request. Karai sighed. These family matters were so complicated and, biologically, they weren't even a family, so why did it bother her so much?

Her mind flitted around, imagining each brother's response. Donnie was the inventor. She was sure he would be against her plan because one, he had never been that fond of her for almost killing his girlfriend and two, the Shredder meant cuts, bruises, and emotional turmoil for the doctor. Karai snorted a bit, making Leo give her a curious look. No, Don would never agree to that. He wouldn't ,mind her staying, but going after the Shredder for no apparent reason for the time being...even Karai was beginning to think it was a bad idea. She shook her head and paused for a moment. Would Donnie mind me staying? Am I insane? I can't stick around! That is ludicrous! I have to spy on Shredder! I need to watch the Foot 24/7. I can't be on playdates with my father's disciples! In her little mental rant, her foot struck the side of the tunnel. Karai gasped a bit and clenched her teeth, as Leo pulled her down another side tunnel. He gave her a glance, but that was it. She couldn't see anything if he was smiling. She sighed and moved on to the next brother. Hello, Raph…

The red masked turtle would enjoy her company just as much as he would welcome one of Leo's reprimands with a side of zero tolerance and lots of attitude. He had never appreciated her and most likely never would. Karai rolled her eyes under the cover of the dark. At the same time, Leo turned left. Getting closer… She sucked in a breath and tried to keep her mind busy. Wow, she wasn't normally this nervous. Karai shook her head. _I am so sidetracked._

Raph would most likely punch her in the shoulder repeatedly after she proposed her plan. After that, he would grab her wrist, ignore Leo's reasoning, throw her out of the lair, and yell at her to get lost. Of course, Karai didn't necessarily want to retaliate because the brothers would have no reason not to push back. Still, if Raph even laid a hand on her, she'd show him how vicious she could be. Man, she would put his normal attacks to shame. Now, how about Mikey?

Leo cleared his throat and she stiffened. Oh no… Instead of trying to touch base on the sensative topic of Splinter, he nodded ahead. Karai realized, as she turned her head, she had seen him nod, not just feeling it through their clasped hands. That means… A pinprick of light shone bright in front of her. Well, Mikey would have to wait. The last thing she remembered thinking before Leo dragged her inside was _Father, why did you have to raise them to be so bossy?_

 **Wow. I am sorry if that was too short, but that is okay. I am thinking of posting a fanfiction I am writing called** ** _The Fray._** **The plot runs along the lines of "** **Shredder attacks the boys on patrol while Karai is in the sewers renewing her strength and helping April train. When she learns the boys have been taken into custody at the police station, she will stop at nothing to get them back, especially when she learns one turtle in particular is not expected to survive the night.**

 **I would love your feedback for** ** _I Never Told You_** **and I would love to know if I should write** ** _The Fray._** **Thanks tmntlover65 for your support and feedback. And yes, Leo will pull several "Donnie's" before the story is over. Also I am an Apritello and Leorai fan, so you can expect a lot of that from me. There will be no swearing or rated m stories of mine. The only reason my stories are rated T is because of the mild violence and also just in case. You know, as a precaution. Thank you everyone!**


	6. Chapter 5: Not My Girl

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 **Hey everyone! Thanks for bearing with me through the first few chapters. I hope you like this chapter!**

Leo stepped into the lair. Karai was two steps ahead him as usual, but he was more than used to that. That wasn't what had been bothering him. Where the the black clad kunoichi would have addressed the silence, she stared ahead with her lips sealed. Leo didn't press her. That normally didn't end well. Karai rapped her knuckles against her thigh armor in impatience, waiting for him to call his brothers. Her eyes were narrowed and emotionless.

"Well?" She demanded. Leo gave her a wary glance.

"Well what?" A thin smile. Light danced in two blue orbs while Karai huffed.

"Seriously Leo, I don't have time for games. Help me out and get this over with." The smile faded from Leo's face as he turned to face her.

"Wait here." He told her. Karai's eyes filled with that look, the look Leo had come to know all too well. He turned away before she could start, but her voice followed him anyway.

"Yeah. Sure. Leave me to fend for myself. Reeeeaal generous of you." Her sarcastic cat-like voice rang in his ears as he headed for the few places his brothers would be at this hour. First, the lab. Donnie and April would be there, he was sure.

. . . . . . . .

The lab lights shone bright over the heads of two teens. Pen scrawled across paper as April finished the small test Donnie had made for her. After asking to be his lab partner, Donnie had showed her the various chemicals and had helped her learn the names and reactions. April felt sure that she had memorized everything as she handed the test back.

"You sure? You can take a minute to study harder." Donnie offered.

"Thanks D, but I promise those are all correct." April smiled.

Donnie quickly examined the test, his eyes sparkling as he reached the bottom. He caught April's gaze and smiled.

"Perfect score." April beamed with pride that copied itself on Donnie's face.

"Looks like I'm officially qualified to be your lab assistant. Or at least by your standards." The red-head's dazzling eyes sparked as they met Donnie's.

"Now all we have to do is persuade your dad to let you work down here."

"I'm sure he won't mind. After all I basically live down here anyway." A mischievous smile broke on her lips. "Then again dads are weird and overprotective." Donnie chuckled.

"No dad would ever keep you under ground for fifteen years like Master Splinter. He is the," Donnie wiggles his fingers in an effort to look mysterious. "'Father of four unruly boys with no respect for the elderly.'" The two chuckled to themselves. Soon three quiet knocks echoed in the space, catching the attention of the two teens. Their eyes interlocked as they both stood.

"I'll get it."

"I'll get it."

April giggled softly at the synchronized sentence. "Jinx. Come on in Leo." Donnie's face darkened a hint at the coincidence. Oh, how he wished he could shut off the blushing feature…

A flicker of blue appeared shortly before the rest of Leo followed, smiling when he noticed his brother and April standing not all that far apart. The grin only spread further when he caught Donnie taking on an even heavier blush. Donnie turned away to fold up the test (and hide his face from April), failing to notice that Leo's eyes remained on another place far off from the land of the living. April tensed at the haunted look. She opened her mouth to say something about it, but shut it figuring Leo would explain in his own time. Then again, this was Leo.

"Am I interrupting something?" Leo asked. April searched his face for any remains of the look, but it had already been replaced by a mischievous glimmer.

"No." Donnie said a bit too forcefully. The brothers had a staring competition, a conversation April couldn't hear, but she was sure the two would be at this for a while. She pulled up a chair and made herself comfortable while the two drew closer to each other and mentally battled it out.

 _Don, when are you gonna ask her?_

 _Not now. Maybe another time._

 _Better sooner than later. There is no time like the present._

 _Oh, so you must have been roaming the streets with your girlfriend as of late._

 _You know that's complicated._

 _What because of her accident with Splinter?_

 _Shut up Donnie._

 _Ooh, you sound just like Raph._

 _You're trying to change the subject._

 _No, I'm responding to your rude attempts at this conversation._

 _Oh, I'm being rude. Come on Donnie. It's a date! She isn't going to bite._

 _She's been training pretty hard, not to mention her telekinesis is growing stronger._

 _Don't deny it Donnie. She wanted to be your lab partner. Seriously, take a hint!_

 _I've calculated every possible way to ask her and they all sound dorky._

 _April likes your dorkiness. Otherwise she wouldn't stick around you as much as she does._

 _Hey! Wait a minute. You think I'm a dork too! Oh jeez, even my wise brother thinks I'm a…_

"Hey boys. You done yet? You've been glaring at each other for the last ten minutes." April said checking her nails. The two gave each other one last long look before turning to the redhead. Leo was the first to speak.

"How did you know it was me?" April glanced at him.

"Mikey isn't patient enough to wait that long and Raph would barge in without knocking." Leo nodded slowly.

"No telekinesis involved?" April grinned.

"No telekinesis." Leo shook his head slowly and smiled at her.

"I've got to say April. That's pretty impressive."

"I've lived here for three years. You pick up on a few things." The redhead met the oldest turtle's eyes. "So what's up?" Leo hesitated for a moment, glancing Donnie's way.

 _Please don't kill me…_

"I brought a guest." He met Donnie's questioning eyes and straightened. "I can't back down from a request for help, even if the matter is...demanding." The tall turtle's gaze darkened.

"It's her isn't it?" April watched, going rigid in her seat at Leo's confirming nod. Oh boy…

"WHAT!" Donnie yelled, the calm turtle finally losing his cool.

"Keep your voice down. She's right outside." Leo hissed, poking his head back out the door.

"Huh, I don't believe this guy." Donnie commented, throwing his hands in the air and planting them on the lab table. April stood and placed herself next to him, trying to soothe his racing nerves.

"Maybe you should limit yourself to three cups of coffee a day, Donnie." She whispered, casting a worried glance in Leo's direction. Whatever he was getting himself into…

Leo sighed and looked out into the entryway of the lair. By the way her eyebrow was raised, he guessed Karai had heard Donnie's outburst. He smiled apologetically and she rolled her eyes. Instead of inquiring what he was up to, she spun on her heel and heading towards the dojo. Leo huffed in relief and took his hand off the door, casting his full attention to his brother. Donnie met his gaze with a glare, April gently rubbing his shoulders. He inhaled deeply and drew up to his full height.

"You brought her here? Now?" April placed a calming hand on his back, and he began to reel in the shreds of his patience. Shaking his head, he said, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to have her here...but she is asking for OUR help, which with Karai usually ends up bringing trouble." The tall turtle turned away from his brother and bent over the table again. He picked up the screwdriver and tried to ignore Leo's consistent voice.

"She has asked for help before." Leo protested.

"Which usually ends in disaster." Donnie responded haughtily. Leo rolled his eyes.

"She's different now. She's had time to think things over."

"Not buying it."

"Donnie, get it in your head that she isn't our enemy!" The tall turtle stood and got up in his brother's face.

"Oh, understand. Next time she tries to kill April I'll invite her over for tea." Leo growled at Donnie's challenging tone. Up until then, April had left herself out of the heated conversation, but now was a good time to intervene.

"Alright guys, that's enough." She half snarled getting in between them. "Donnie I appreciate your concern, but we do need to show her a little respect and hospitality. If she is requesting help, it would be wrong to refuse her." Leo smirked over the back of April's head at Donnie as the tall turtle began to protest against the redhead's argument. "Unless it's crazy." She whipped around toward the door, leaving Donnie dumbstruck and gawking after her. Leo stepped aside to let her go. April smiled and said,

"I'll go keep her company." With that, she was gone. Leo cast a look at Donnie.

"Save it, whatever you want to say." Donnie said, sighing in defeat. "Let's go find Raph and Mikey."

"Thanks Don." Leo smirked. "And by the way, you just got shot down."

"We'll see who gets shot down when Mikey and I are holding Raphael back to keep him from beating the shell out of you and your girlfriend." Leo cast him a wary glance.

"She's not my girlfriend." Still, the eldest's face flushed slightly. Donnie smirked as they headed toward the growing shrieks and smacks coming from the kitchen. Leo couldn't deny it forever.

 **Aaaannnd done! Hoped you liked it. Now please review this chapter and feel free to point out some things I can improve. I really need help with the first few chapters. Thanks for supporting me so far. You guys are the best. REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 6: Girl Talk

**CHAPTER SIX**

 **Girl Talk**

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for helping me so far, but I do need a lot of help for the next chapter.**

April's footsteps seemed to drag as she neared the dojo. Ugh I am not looking forward to this. She thought. I gotta stop volunteering for this kind of thing. April was sure she wasn't afraid of Karai, but what the heck would she say? 'It's not your fault that Splinter had the accident? April rolled her eyes. Okay, new plan. No stupidity, just glide into conversation.

One foot after the other, the redhead ascended the stairs into the dojo. Reaching the entryway, April poked her head inside. Karai was on her knees staring at the picture in her hand. The brunette bowed her head at the black and white photo of her father, her mother, and herself.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I was never the daughter you deserved." Carefully, Karai placed the photo back on the holder. She sighed softly and stood. April felt her heart cry out for the kunoichi. No one could be strong enough to go through all this, and April could feel Karai's barriers beginning to break. She took a step forward, wanting to voice her thoughts. _Creeeeek!_ As soon as her foot touched the board there was a blade against her throat and April found herself staring into the cold, barred eyes of Karai.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The dojo felt empty without the rat inside. The light flitting from above showered the armor clad girl, making her glow slightly. She had been kneeling on the floor for a while now, simply staring at the picture in her hand. Karai gently placed a tentative finger on her mother's face, tracing her features. Strong jaw, smoothly curved nose, and brave, peaceful eyes. The baby in the picture smiled with a slightly raised hand, trying to reach out and tug her father's coat. Yes, it had all been perfect, until the Shredder.

Karai's eyes began to well up, so she shut her eyes and fought the memories and demons that invaded her mind. She held onto the picture tightly as both of her attackers swamped her.

 _The Foot soldiers stayed down, allowing Karai to sheath her blade at long last. Fueled by rage and hatred, she entered the front of the cathedral. Instantly, she slipped into the shadows and became one with them, running with the darkness until she reached the throne room doors. She wasn't wondering why she hadn't run into other mutants. She didn't question the fact that no guards had engaged her in combat. Karai didn't care. Not bothering with stealth, she threw open the doors, prepared for the worst. However, nothing could have prepared her for this._

 _Mutants stood on both sides of the room, backed up be Foot soldiers. They all patiently watched her, waiting for orders to attack from the metal-clad man seated in the back. Both gauntlets shone in the moonlight pouring through the glass walls. His eyes were filled with fire, fire that burned into Karai, branding her._

" _Shredder." Karai whispered loud enough for the room to hear._

" _Daughter. You have returned."_

" _Only long enough to let this blade run through you." She spat. The mutants and soldiers straightened, wishing to strike her down for talking to their master in such a way._

" _Please daughter. I did it all for you. Why do you wish to hurt me in this way?" With that, hearing the play-innocent tone used by Shredder, something in Karai snapped._

" _YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!" Releasing a battle cry, Karai sprang at the Shredder. The man yelled his own war cry and leapt up to meet her. Raising their own blades, the two struck at each other, the force of it strong enough to rattle the stars. Strong enough to rip the world in half._

Teeth clenched, Karai pulled herself back to the present. She blinked away the memories, as she whispered softly, "I'm sorry. I was never the daughter you deserved." Gently, she put the photo back and stood, placing a hand on the hilt of her tanto. _Creeeek_! Quick as a flash, Karai whipped around, and drew her blade against the invader's throat…

"April?" She said, pulling the knife away. The girl didn't even seem scared. Her eyes spoke of pity instead of fear. Karai sighed and stepped back, putting on an annoyed expression. "Don't any of you guys know what privacy means?"

"Just came in to see if everything was alright." April smiled softly. "Do you need a hand?" Karai gave her a confused look.

"With what?"

"Your room."

"Oh, trust me when I say, I'm not staying." April's face fell slightly.

"Sheesh, I was hoping to get another girl in here to keep the boys in check." Karai let her lip twitch.

"Sorry, gotta stay on the move. The Foot also need a babysitter."

"So, what are you up to these days?" April asked. Karai spun her blade between her fingers.

"Oh you know, the casual daily butt-kicking exercise and Shredder patrol." Karai sheathed her knife and shrugged. "That kind of thing." April nodded. "Now did you come in here just to catch me off guard or do you actually want something?"

"Now that you mention it, I do need a training partner. Care to join in?" Karai let a shallow smile surface.

"Now you're speaking my language." Little did the two know, a figure stood in the shadows. It watched them spar and narrowed its eyes. This could get messy.

 **Ooooh who is it? Sorry it is so short, but I'm having a bit of a writer's block at the moment so please review and tell me what I can improve. Thanks.**


	8. Chapter 7: Family Dispute

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **Hey guys! This is a longer chapter and I wrote it on my phone so I am hoping that there are no typos or spelling errors. Thanks for supporting me in this so far. Thank you for the reviews and the favs/follows. Thank you Letsaimpastthesky1 for your reviews. Keep writing because if I have to review often then so do you. =)**

The family room was silent. The concrete benches were neatly cascaded with pillows, even if that did seem impossible. Everything was as peaceful as it could be. Well anyone could guess how long THAT lasted.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?"

"Raph, calm down. This isn't what it looks like."

"OF COURSE IT IS! Don't play innocent when SHE'S STANDING RIGHT THERE!" Karai yawned from the dojo as Raph continued to yell at his older brother. April rolled her eyes at the two. Karai shook her head. _And to think I had begun to miss this place._

Finally, April got sick of the bickering and pulled Karai away.

"Woah hey there. Where are we going now?" April gave her an annoyed expression.

"As long as it is quiet, I don't care." The redhead gave Karai a questioning look. "You don't seem fazed."

"I'm not. Welcome to my life and childhood."

…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .

Finally, after setbacks and major threats (mainly Raph promising to shave Karai's hair

off and her daring him to try it) the family gathered in the kitchen to discuss the dilemma. Karai sat between April and Leo at the table. Raph sat across from her, glaring at her, even though it was the equivalent of staring at a brick wall. Donnie and Mikey flanked either side of him, ready to hold him back if, not if, _when_ the time came. Before he sat down, Leo set the kettle brew. Once he was beside her, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Alright Karai. Why are we here?" Karai rolled her eyes as she folded her hands under her chin.

"In the last few months, I've noticed increased Foot activity. They aren't headed for the kid toys anymore. They want to play a much more dangerous game." She said. "They're bringing in the heavier weaponry now."

"Oh? How'd you get close enough to notice?" Raph asked. Karai sighed.

"Because metal crates aren't exactly easy to hide. Especially when they are filled with sharp katana blades and shuriken." She smirked. "Any other questions?" Five pairs of eyes gazed warily at her but no one commented. "I didn't think so. The Shredder has spread his empire further across the city and into Purple Dragon territory. Hun has been working with him while you five have been down here doing nothing!"

"We haven't exactly had time to get ready to go topside and check things out." April responded gently.

"Except that time we went to the skate spot! And then Raph fell off the rail and Leo and Donnie had to carry him home and…OW!" Raph slapped Mikey on the head.

"I told you not to be boneheaded." Raph hissed. Donnie rolled his eyes at his two brothers and met Leo's eyes. His elder brother had been quiet the whole time and Donnie wondered why.

"But," Karai grabbed their attention again. "All we need to do is take out the head of the organization. The Purple Dragons and Foot will be powerless. We can end this." Everyone stared at her, trying to register what she had said.

"Wait, so, you want _us_ to go with _you_ and take out the _Shredder?"_ Donnie asked with a gaping jaw.

"Well if you want to say it like an idiot that works too." She snapped.

"No way!" Raph yelled, standing up with enough force to knock his stool over. Donnie and Mikey each took an arm to keep him from injuring Karai. "Last time I trusted you with this family, you killed someone!" Karai's face contorted into a raging mess.

"That was uncalled for!" She screamed back, standing up herself. "We have to do something!"

"Tell you what. Do us a favor and GET OUTTA HERE! Then you'll be doing something noble for once." Of course this stirred something in Leo as well and he rose from his seat.

"Raph! Enough!" Leo pointed his finger at his younger brother. "The accident wasn't her fault and you have no right to talk to her like that!" Raph snorted.

"Why do you always stick up for her? She is bad news!"

"Shut up!"

"She killed him Leo! She killed Splinter!" Ralph lowered his voice. "And she won't let it end til we're out of the equation too."

"ENOUGH!" Everyone stared at April. Her face was like that of a mask, firm and unmoving. "There has got to be a way to disagree nicely. And I'll have you know Raph," She spat his name. "That Karai and I have been training for two hours and she has shown me nothing but respect. So buzz off blockhead!" Raph looked taken aback but he quickly replaced it with a scowl. Donnie and Mikey released him, stepping away. Karai glanced at the two.

"So not one of you is on my side?" Everyone shook their heads. Leo gave an apologetic look to go with his. "Well then, I'll see you around. I thought I could fix this, but I guess I can't." With that, Karai turned on her heel and walked through the curtain covering the entrance. Everyone listened as her footsteps receded down the tunnel. As soon as she was gone, April walked over and got right in Raph's face.

"I can't believe you. It wasn't her fault. Splinter did what he did so Karai could have her own life. He most likely never suspected that you would step in the way of that." She sighed. "I'm headed home. I can't stay here tonight." April spun around, leaving Raph dumbfounded, and stormed out of the lair.

"Way to go Raph. You made them both mad." Donnie said, annoyed at his older brother.

"Hey I didn't mean to set off April, but Princess totally had it coming." Raph retorted.

"Dude, you know how April wants to give Karai a second chance. She'll be back." Mikey explained. Donnie sighed and Mikey looked around.

"Hey, where'd Leo go?" He asked. Raph snorted.

"After Princess, no doubt." Donnie sighed.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be in my lab." The tallest turtle then turned and headed toward his lab. Raph huffed and left as well. Mikey felt distraught that his family was fighting again. He sighed and crossed the room, opening the freezer. Ice cream kitty's paw instantly dabbed on his nose. Mikey gazed lovingly at his pet.

"Well Kitty I guess it's just you and me now."

 _ **Badda bing badda boom!**_ **Well there you have it. If you want to find out what the hay us going on 1) with Master Splinter 2) between Raph and Karai and 3) who the heck the dude in the shadows is. Hope you enjoyed it and if you have any ways that I could make the story better, review and let me know.**


	9. Chapter 8: Reveal

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

 **Reveal**

 **Hey guys. I am writing this because I am freezing and I need to stay still. I just had to jump in the lake off my boat because I dropped my phone in the water. Since I was panicking, I couldn't see it so my dad had to get into the canoe and point it out to me. Unfortunately, it was raining so there was this huge bass, and as soon as I saw it, my previous fear of fish resurfaced since I was already hyper and freaked out from dropping my phone in the lake. I started hyperventilating, but I jumped in anyway. Good thing it was only two feet over my head because I panicked underwater and breathed by accident. Of course when it happened, I couldn't see anything because I opened my eyes and my contacts fell out. I grabbed my phone, pushed off the bottom, and ironically hit my head on the bottom of the canoe. I broke the surface coughing and yelling "Now where's the friggin' fish! I can't see!" Of course, as I was swimming back, I thought of the movies "Jaws" and "47 Meters Down." I have never done the front crawl so fast. I completely lost it when I saw a rock under me and thought it was a snapping turtle. It was a fiasco. So yeah, on with the story.**

 **This one has a lot of explaining in it so you need to read this one.**

Raphael hit the bag again, struggling to conceal his trembling. He saw it every time he closed his eyes. His father after the accident haunted him like a ghost, which seemed more accurate at this point. He felt something break inside of him as he thought of Splinter. The gentle rat had raised the four of them from infancy. Raph had always felt safe snuggled up against his father after a nightmare. No one cared that they were different from the world and each other. Father and sons were never more than an earshot away.

The first time they had come down with a mild case of the flew at age five, Splinter hadn't slept a wink. He had read them stories, replaced the wet bandages on their foreheads every hour, and had made sure they were kept occupied to keep them from moving too much. Heck, Splinter had even gone so far as to play a few video games with them to keep them still. That was the first time Leo meditated. And the first time Donnie typed actual words on his new (and very outdated) laptop. And the first time Mikey had beat level four in one of his games. The first Raph remembered most was the day before his fever broke. Splinter had taught him snippets of how to play the drums on some old cans. Of course, they had been muffled, for Raphael played on them day and night. Sometimes even Leo began to listen at night and breathe with the beat of his younger brother's playing.

To his surprise, the red-clad turtle felt something warm trickle down his face. He lowered his hands and straightened. Raph made sure no one was watching before wiping the tear off of his face. As soon as it was gone, the red-clad turtle turned back to the punching bag. Again his fist collided with the sand-filled bag. _She ruined everything._ Smack! _She broke my...our trust._ Smack! _She killed our father!_ Raph sank into a seated position against the pinball machine. Why? Why did she have to go and betray his family. Raph still mourned over the memories he and Karai had made together when she had started living with them. Under his breath, he chuckled softly at the memory of their first Purple Dragon takedown…

" _Come on Princess, you're so slow." Raph yelled over his shoulder. The wind whipped in his face as he jumped to the next rooftop. The air was quite still, only whispering in Raph's ears because of his speed. Stars glimmered down, reflecting of the twin sais at his sides. He looked back, smiling when all he saw was concrete and smokestacks._

" _You know it isn't nice to insult a girl." A voice had Raph skidding in his tracks. Glancing up at the source, he let his mouth drop._

" _No way. How'd you get up there?" Karai smiled, perched on the rim of the apartment building's water tower._

" _Never mind that! You'd think that as a turtle you'd have learned you're too slow." She shrugged. "Sorry Raph." The red-clad turtle growled playfully and cracked his knuckles._

" _Oh, I'll show you 'too slow'." Karai hopped down, brushing herself off. She met his gaze, or rather, his smirk._

" _Pfft, yeah. Too slow to catch me and give me a beat down." Raph held his hand over his heart, imitating one of Leo's movements when Donnie had told them Casey had moved because April didn't like him anymore._

" _Ouch." He said mockingly. Quick on his feet, he ran at her, ready to give her a well-earned shove. Karai stood there with a hand on her hip. When Raph was almost on top of her, she flipped over his back, pushing off of his carapace. While Karai landed on her feet, Raph landed on his face. He grimaced and slowly hauled himself up._

" _I thought the 'ouch' was just an early reaction." She chirped, quite pleased with herself. Raph rolled his eyes than stared into the night, smirking._

" _What?"_

" _You do realize Leo is gonna be super ticked if we aren't back on time without a reason?"_

" _Why? Because he has to haul his handsome self out of the dojo and come looking for us?" Raph rolled his eyes._

" _Wrong Princess. Well, Fearless doesn't like to leave the lair at this hour. Donnie's working and if no one's watching Mikey, well, the place gets trashed. Also, he starts worrying that we're bleeding out in a dark alley somewhere."_

" _Gotcha." Karai stepped onto the ledge. Leo's protective actions amused her to no end. "Then we had better find a reason to stay up here." She turned to Raph and straightened. "You guys are great but I'll go stir crazy down there if I have to stay another minute." Raph eyed her, taking her request to consideration. Finally, he smiled slightly, his green eyes glimmering._

" _Then we understand each other. Let's go find some heads to bust." Karai stepped up to the ledge, facing Raph. His facial expression changed from mischievous to concerned. The building was tall and she was super close to the edge of the roof._

" _I've got the streets. You take the roofs." With that, she jumped backwards, flipping down into the open air._

" _Karai, wait!" Raph raced to the edge. Pure terror raced through him, adrenaline pulsing into his legs and making them move faster. Reaching the ledge, he felt scared to look down. If she had just killed herself, he was in trouble. Oh boy, Leo was gonna… He peered over the edge. Karai skillfully caught the edge of the fire escape, flipped up on top of the rail, then slid down the ladder. She flipped backwards and landed on her feet, perfectly sticking the landing. Raph sighed in relief, glaring down at her as she dusted her hands off. Karai had barely taken a step before Raph landed in front of her._

" _You had better have a heck of a good explanation for why you just scared the shell outta me." Karai grinned playfully and crossed her arms._

" _Because I couldn't wait to see how you would react." Karai chuckled. "It was almost as funny as Leo's. Oh, that was priceless." Raph raised an eyebrow._

" _Leo saw you do that? And he didn't make you do katas for a week?"_

" _Oh, I did it while we were walking to Murakami's. I swear he almost had a heart attack." Karai's face changed into one of seriousness. "I scared him half to death though. I promised him never to do it again unless there was something I could grab." She smiled, a glimmer of an emotion Raph didn't recognize in her eyes._

" _You know Leo. Overprotective and fearless." Karai snapped her head towards him, her eyes sharpening._

" _He isn't fearless!" She snapped slightly. "He's just really good at hiding it. You should ask him sometime!" Woah. Raph thought, the voice of one of those sport announcer's voices ringing in his head. What a mood change. And it's outta here! Catching his expression, she sighed. "Let's just get back down to the lair. I've had enough excitement now that I've scared the great Raphael. Also, Leo is probably worried anyway." Raph opened his mouth to protest, especially at the "Leo's prissy rules need to be followed" thing, but she was already walking toward the nearest entrance to the sewers. He inwardly sighed and followed her._

" _Well well, what do we have here?" Raph tensed, glancing around. Karai did the same, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. Slowly, she drew her tanto._

" _Who's there?" She called out. No one appeared. "Come on, my friend and I really want to play whack-a-head, so if you would play along, that would be great!" Raph raised an eyebrow at her._

" _What the heck was that?" Karai shrugged._

" _Dunno. Just felt like saying it." Just then, something grabbed her arm. Karai grabbed whoever-it-was's shoulder and flipped him into the light. A dragon tattoo wove up the man's arm, spiraling just above his ripped black t-shirt. He let out a large breath as he hit the ground and his eyes remained wide open._

" _The purple dimwits?" Raph said enthusiastically. More stepped from the shadows. They also had the tell-tale dragon tattoos trailing up their arms and chests. Some carried weapons like knives and kusarigama chains. Others made fists, indicating that they were weaponless. A particularly tall man stood in front of them, constantly pushing his sunglasses up his nose, even though it was dark out._

" _Hun?" Karai smirked. "Long time no see." Hun stared at her._

" _I don't have time to spend with bratty girls. Move out of our way."_

" _Oh, Hun, you have a lot to learn." Karai and Raph approached the Purple Dragons. They backed away, all except for Hun. Their backs hit the wall and the pair of mutants advanced on them. This was gonna be fun...and ever so slightly painful._

 **One beat down later**

…

" _Ah that was awesome." Raph shouted as they ran down the sewer tunnels. "We showed who's boss." Karai smirked, but then fixed her gaze on the water beneath her rapidly moving feet._

" _I wonder what they were up too. They might still familiarize with the Shredder. What if they still work for him?" She thought out loud._

" _I can't answer that Princess. We'll just have to watch 'em the next few months is all." The two slowed down as they reached the outer rim of the lair. Karai got that faraway look. She always did when there was a mention of the Shredder. Raph knew he would have to warn Leo about it. Karai had already tried to go after the Shredder on her own. The brothers didn't want to lose their new friend to the wrath of the Shredder._

" _And where have you two been?"_

" _Oooh, busted." Karai whispered under her breath. Raph followed her gaze and found himself staring at the worried, yet annoyed face of his oldest brother._

" _We were out butt-whipping." Karai said, copying his stance with her arms crossed. They stared at each other for a good minute, earning them Raph's shifting and uncomfortable gaze. Leo's lip twitched slightly. His eyes fell to her fists._

" _Whose butt was being whipped?" He asked. Karai glanced at her hands. Blood soaked the fabric and she shrugged._

" _Not my fault Hun had a bloody nose."_

" _You ran into the Purple Dragons?" Leo shook his head slightly._

" _We had it under control." Raph said gruffly. Karai huffed._

" _Now, did we get back on time? Or are do we have to come up with a list of ways we can make it up to you and Splinter." Karai asked. She then turned and noticed Raph was right beside her. "Do I have to fill out a slip to get away from this babysitter?" Leo chuckled as Raph's face darkened._

" _Shutup." He muttered, walking away. Then, voices floated out from the living space, perked his interest. Raph listened, a hand on his bedroom door for cover in case he was spotted._

" _Where were you really?" Leo's voice sounded first._

" _Like I said. Whipping butt." The sound of Karai's fist connecting with something hard made Raph tense. She wasn't mad about the whole Shredder thing again was she? Then Leo laughed._

" _Karai, you wanna spar for a little bit? You seem tense."_

" _Well, excuse me. I didn't notice grabbing the fire escape after falling earlier would pull so many muscles." She giggled. "I beat Raph through the secret place shoulda seen the look on his face."_

" _Ha! And he hasn't figured it out yet?"_

" _Nope. He's part of 'you shoulda seen the look on his face' do you not understand? Come on Leo, take a hint." The laughing faded into the dojo. Raph strained to hear the two but they were out of earshot. He huffed. So Karai had cheated? He'd get her back, but for now he needed sleep…_

Raph leaned back, accidently slamming his head against the metal of the pinball machine. Tears streaked softly down his face, forming lines around the small smile that had emerged a few minutes into the memory. He missed those days when he and Karai acted like actual brother and sister. Then the accident had happened. Karai had betrayed them all. Deep down, he knew she regretted her decisions. However, figuring that ideas are bad after they happen doesn't change the past. The hurt threatened to rip him apart. The smile fell from his face and he replaced it with a scowl. Drying his eyes, Raph stood and walked toward the tunnel entrance. For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the floor.

Even after weeks of trying to wash them away, blood drops stained the concrete. It seemed as though even the lair couldn't forget Karai's mistake. Raph had even found Leo watching this place as if he could erase it if he stared at it long enough. Of course, Raph had never told his younger brothers about Leo's staring contests with the floor. They had enough to be concerned about anyway.

The two boys still caught Leo in different stages of mourning around the lair. Donnie had found him boring holes into the photo of Miwa, Splinter, and Tang Shen, as if they would come alive if only he stayed by their side. Finally, he had unsheathed his katana and begun practicing complicated katas, eyes tightly sealed to prevent tears from leaking out. With Mikey, it was completely different. Their baby brother had discovered Leo meditating in Splinter's room, holding the old rat's emerald walking stick in his hands. Mikey had stood their for thirty minutes, waiting for his eldest brother to notice he was there. Out of all of them, the blue-masked brother was the most aware of his surroundings. He had impeccable hearing, but in spite of that, Leo had stood and breezed right past Mikey without noticing he was there. The worst of all was when April called and said Leo was standing on the Byerly building all by himself, simply staring into space watching the wind blow. Yes, that night had wrestled the life from Leo for two weeks. Of course that night had caught everyone in grief's tangled net.

That night, the cause of all that grief, he still remembered that night vividly. The screams for help still rang in Raph's head as he closed his eyes. That night, that one night had changed everything. Karai had fallen from friend to foe. And Raph had been stupid enough to let her go alone out of the lair on patrol, just in spite of Leo ordering him not to. After a bit, Splinter had gone out to look for her. Raph remained unworried. Little had he known the consequences of one tiny slip up.

" _LEO! RAPH! DON! MIKE! HELP ME!" The scream echoed long in the sewers, carrying the sound straight to the ears of four brothers. Four heads snapped up, wondering if the voice had just sprung from their minds. The y had been asleep in the living room, but they weren't now. The four glanced around, finally catching each other's gazes. Wait, if they had all heard it…_

" _LEO!" As soon as the second ear-splitting shriek pierced the lair, the oldest was up and running out of the lair. Their was something in that voice...and….where was the second? Fighting back is fear, Leo sprinted through the tunnels._

" _RAPH!" This time, the voice was behind him. Where was she? Leo turned on his heel, running in the other direction. Come on...He thought. Hang in there Karai. Just give me a few more minutes._

" _DON! MIKEY!" The voice echoed from the direction of the lair. With water splashing in his wake, the oldest brother ran forward toward home. He had to make it. He had to. Finally, a light flickered ahead, shining over the worried expressions of his younger brothers. He faced them, opening his mouth to say something. A quiet whisper stopped him before the first word touched his tongue._

" _Guys?" The first thing they saw was red. Splashed all over the concrete. Splattered on metal. Soaking through black fabric and dripping slowly. Too much. There was no way she could still be standing with that much blood loss. Unless all that red had once belonged to someone else._

 _Leo's voice caught in his throat. Oh. No no no no. Karai stood in the entrance, clutching her arm tightly to her side, pressing against an obvious wound. Tears trailed down her face as she stumbled into the lair._

" _Karai." Raph and Leo raced forward to help her, examining her for any more injuries and finding none. Mikey ran off to find some bandages while Donnie sprinted off to the lab for sutures. Karai's head drooped down as she leaned on both brothers' shoulders. Her face seemed rather pale, and Leo wished he could blame it on the blood loss._

" _What happened?" Leo asked as he pressed his hand to her side, trying to staunch the flow. Karai just looked up slightly with sightless eyes, tears dripping off her chin._

" _The Shredder...I...I thought I could end this."_

" _Yeah? How'd that turn out?" Raph's voice has layered with worry. "You coulda gotten yourself sliced and diced." Leo kicked his brother in the ankle and shook his head._

" _He followed me…" Karai whispered. Instantly Raph was at the entrance of the lair, sai twirling in his hands._

" _Where is he?" Raph growled. "Where is that maniac, messing with my friends." Leo watched his brother almost missing Karai's whisper._

" _What?"_

" _Let me...just let me stand...by myself." Karai said, catching his eye._

" _No. That wound could have you on the floor in seconds." He protested._

" _Leo." She hissed softly. For once, Leo obeyed and stepped away. Steadying herself, she faced Raph. "Not Shredder." Raph, still suspicious of the tunnel, slipped his sai back into their sheaths. Finally, as he turned around, he noticed something. Karai wasn't the only one who had left the lair that night. His blood turned to ice. Leo stiffened, coming to the same conclusion as Raph._

" _Karai, where's Sensei?" Raph heard his own voice laced with fear. She lowered her head and gazed at the floor. Karai whispered so low, Raph almost missed it._

" _I'm sorry." She met the two brother's stunned gazes. "He followed me to the cathedral. Shredder.." She swallowed hard. "Shredder ran him through. I'm so sorry." The tears fell down her face in waterfalls, squeezing through her now closed eyelids. Raph stared at her, realization pouring through him. He didn't hear Donnie and Mikey arriving. He didn't see Karai break down. He didn't feel Leo shaking his shoulder trying to snap him out of it. All Raph knew was that his gentle father would never walk the lair again. Never help his hotheaded son calm himself and control his anger. Never try to meditate in the dojo while the boys did whatever. Never make them birthday cakes. Never take them new places in the sewer. Never train them again. Now he didn't have to stare at a picture and long for Tang Shen. He had her now._

" _Karai!" Donnie caught her as she slumped to the floor. Checking her pulse, panic crossed his face. "Raph help me carry her to the lab. Leo, help Mikey set up." Leo nodded and left trying to override his sorrow with the fact that they could still save one life if they were fast enough. Donnie grunted, picking Karai off the floor. "Raph. I need your help." Donnie looked at his brother, still staring at the spot where Karai's head had been. A chill ran through the purple-masked brother's body. "Raph, please. RAPH! RAPH!" The red masked turtle stood there, oblivious. All he could see, all he could hear, that blasted fact. Splinter was dead._

 **Poor Raphie. I know, it was all about Raph and Karai, and no, there is nothing romantic between them. Please review for me and tell me what I did wrong or what you thought was funny or heartbreaking or...whatever. Just review. Thanks everyone. =)**


	10. Chapter 9: Reminders

**CHAPTER NINE**

 **Reminders**

 **Hey guys! I know, it has been a struggle to make it this far but I promise you that the next few chapters are just getting you started on the action. Piece a few things together for me and tell me if I did it right. I'm going to tell you right now that even I want the excited chapters to come but you know how all books start. No worries. In a few chapters, you'll be up to your armpits with humor, romance, and lots of action. Have fun.**

 **P.S. If you ever meet Letsaimpastthesky1, tell them they're a great writer. Sky, I hope you read this and I hope it makes your day that much better.**

 **I am dedicating this chapter (and the whole book) to my friend Sky for supporting me with this thing and that one message at one thirty a.m.**

Pounding. It was all she could feel. Hear. Voice after voice chased her down the tunnel, shame stepping heavily in her wake. Tears dripped down her chin. That was why she had immediately left the warm and cozy comforts of the lair. She couldn't let them see her cry. No. Weakness was not an option, no matter how kind her father had been about it.

No. No, the walls were closing in. Karai thought in a panic. Can't breathe. The constricting pain hit her hard in the ribs, slowing her pace. The water pulled at her feet. It's an illusion. Gotta be.

Karai never stopped until she reached the end of the tunnel, where it met the main tunnel. She sank down against the wall, her sobs finally catching up to her. Stupid Raphael. Couldn't give her a minute. A minute to worry about something else. A moment to let herself forget her crimes.

" _She killed him Leo! She killed Splinter!"_ Raph's harsh voice sounded in her ears as she tucked her head into her arms. This was too much to handle. She'd been on her own to long, no one to turn to. The wrecking ball hit her barricaded walls. Inch by inch, they came down.

Splinter stroking her hair when she had first come home. _Crack!_

The old rat who made her tea in the morning and listened to her rantings with patience. _Crack!_

Her father, who helped her perfect the complicated katas she could never practice while she had been with the Foot. _Crack!_

Splinter who had taken the fatal blow for her. And the walls came tumbling down.

The sobs wracked through her, even though Karai struggled to keep them in. Her thoughts raced. Where would she run now. Wait. Not run. Running is weak. Cowardly. But it fit her just right. She'd run out on Splinter. Run out on her friends. Stupid.

 _Splash._ Willing herself to be still, Karai listened to the footsteps coming her way. Lifting her head, she stared straight ahead and tried to discern who it was. Oh no. Not him. Not now. Karai wiped the steaming makeup from her face, satisfied that she could erase some part of her weakness. For a moment she paused.

Was that all Splinter's memory added up to now? Weakness?

"Karai! I know you're here." His voice bounced off the concrete, rippling the water at Karai's feet. She didn't make a sound. She wanted to be alone for once and not have someone always trampling on her business. One half of her hoped he would give up the search and leave. The other half of her, well, wanted him to find her.

The second half won.

Leo's right foot appeared at the end of the tunnel, a few yards away from where she was sitting. Soon, he had fully emerged from the entrance of the tunnel he had been in. His posture seemed stiff. _Loosen up Leo. It's fine if you let me get lost once in awhile._ She thought bitterly. _I'm not THAT important._

Blue searchlights now scanned the sewers, searching, searching for the girl that ran from her problems. Finally, they rested on her. His eyes half closed with relief and Karai felt an involuntary shiver race up her spine. Leo was by her side in an instant, checking her over. What was it with him and his little, 'protection first' perks. He knelt down beside her, his gaze trapped in hers.

"I was beginning to think I wouldn't find you." _Yeah, and you should've left it that way._ She lifted her head so that she was staring in those deep sapphire eyes. "What happened back there?" That was actual concern flickering in his gaze. Wow, when had that ever been expressed toward her after the accident. She had almost forgotten what it looked like.

"I'm so sorry. Raph has been super impulsive lately and… " He trailed off, noting the wet shimmer in her eyes; the tear streaks staining, stark against her pale skin. "Is something wrong?"

Was that a question?

"No everything's fine. I was there when my father was murdered and it was partially my fault, thanks for asking." Karai threw her hands up in the air as she spoke to emphasize her words. "So yeah, everything is wrong Leo. They hate me, Splinter's gone! Where have you been?" The blue masked terrapin simply took it and blinked knowingly. He knew better than to try and stop her from venting. She took in a calming breath, looking him straight in the eye.

"Now don't you lie to me. Do you see me as a monster like the Shredder?" Leo stared at her.

"You are no monster, Karai. This mess, it isn't your fault. Raph…" He struggled to find the right words. "...He suffered the same situation and pain as the rest of us, but he needs someone to blame." Leo gently grasped her wrist to catch her attention. The fire was starting to return to her eyes. Leo felt himself burn slightly from the hopeful glance she gave him before that molten gaze returned to stare at his hand over her arm.

"He still remembers the old times. He misses you, but he is too big a bonehead to admit it." Karai's eyes welled, but somehow the flame reflected on the glassy surface.

"Remember how I said Raph had no right to blame me?" She let a tear slide from one eye. Leo watched it fall, releasing her wrist as she faced him fully. Karai took a deep breath, knowing he was listening. Leo's deep, soulful eyes enveloped her and for a second, she felt safe. "Maybe...maybe he's right."

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't act so clueless." Karai closed her eyes. "He tried to persuade me into coming home that night on the roof." Her confession bounced off the tunnel walls, echoing in Leo's head. His eyes widened. Karai continued.

"What if…" She choked up slightly. "What if I _am_ responsible?"

… _. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . , , , , , , ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . ._

 _The Shredder pulled the blades out of Splinter's chest and the rat slumped to the ground._

" _NOOOOO!" Karai shrieked from her position on the floor. Her gaze was transfixed on the empty eyes of her father._ Oh please, please no.

" _How does it feel Karai?" Shredder's booming voice echoed in Karai's ears. She let her head drop, still on her hands and knees with wide eyes. "This is how he killed Tang Shen! Her death has finally been avenged!"_

" _No." Karai whispered, staring at the ground. The sobs rippled up her spine, causing her to choke on them. Small tears hit the cement floor, spiraling like a river down an empty streambed. She tried to focus on her breathing, tried not to think. Of course, in that moment, she was swarmed with memories._

" _Your time with them has made you weak, Karai. You have come to lean on_

 _them." The Shredder kneeled by Karai's head. "Thank you for bringing him to_

 _me." When she didn't respond, he lifted her chin. Brokenness mingled with the auburn pools._

" _Thank you for helping me finish Hamato Yoshi." In that moment she snapped._

" _You killed him!" Karai's eyes morphed from hopeless to cold and calculating. "If I were you…" She yanked her head out of Shredder's grasp, eyeing the glass ledge above him. " … I'd watch my back."_

 _Shredder didn't have time to process what happened next. As if her several injuries were only minor inconveniences, Karai grabbed his still outstretched hand. Using it as leverage, she flipped herself onto the Shredder's back. She used him as a stepstool to launch up to the glass ledge. He whipped around, but she was already sprinting through the red door at the end of the hallway._

" _You may try to run Karai…" The Shredder slowly stepped up to Hamato Yoshi's body. The fingers of the rat were stiff and cold, devoid of life. "But you cannot run from this." No, she would bring the rest of his enemies to him._

 _And under the mask, Shredder smiled._

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

Karai didn't notice she was crying until she stopped talking. Now, the tears rolled freely down her face. The presence beside her had stiffened, struggling to process her words.

"I… I'm so sorry Leo." She sniffed. "It was me. It was all me." Leo didn't respond. Karai presumed it was shock that had silenced him. She had seen that coming, but what he did next was something she never would have expected of him.

Two strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. For a second, Karai couldn't seem to move. Leo's head rested on top of hers as he set her down in his lap. Settling into the embrace, Karai let herself cry.

"I know it wasn't you." A whisper in her ear. Karai blinked through her tears. Did he really believe that? "Splinter…" The voice faltered for a moment. "Once he had something set on his mind, no one could change it. He chose to save you and you had nothing to do with that."

"I was the reason he gave up." She whispered, but despite her words the tears began to slow.

"Splinter once told me that even though you feel responsible for a situation, it is how you deal with the aftermath that counts."

"Do you...do you really expect me to believe that?" Karai sputtered.

"You're going to have to."Leo told her. She could almost see the smug grin on his face. "Because I'm going to say it every day when you decide to come home." Karai sniffed at his tone, her tears gone.

"I hope you realized you said 'when' and not 'if'." Karai muttered, leaning forward and wiping away all evidence of her tears.

"I know what I said, Karai." She pulled away fully, wiping the last of the salty, stinging water from her face. The bricks that made the tunnel were all of the sudden very interesting. She stared at them, desperate to escape that calm gaze for a moment. It reminded her so much of Splinter. Leo shifted and Karai could almost hear him thinking. _Oh boy, here it comes._

"Karai, come home with me...us!" Leo added on the last part a bit too fast. Karai muttered something along the lines of 'dumb as a doornail' and Leo's cheeks burned. As he struggled to think of something else, his brain hammered him. _Shoot I pulled a Donnie. Ugh, why? "_ April would love to have another girl in the lair." Karai smirked at him.

"Nice recovery." Leo stood up and offered her his hand. With the return of her ever-present stoic face's return, Karai took it.

"I don't know Leo. The Foot have been up to old tricks." Karai bit her lip. _Am I trying to push away my only friend? Shoot._

A hint of disappointment flashed in Leo's eyes as he pulled her to her feet. She tried to smooth it over.

"I'm just...not ready yet."

"I understand." A fake smile crossed his face and he sighed, looking back over his shoulder.

"I have to get back to the lair. No telling what is going on in there." Karai nodded, blinking a few extra times.

"I can't live where I'm not wanted." She whispered, her emotions battling each other under the surface of her gaze.

"I know." Leo turned to leave. "Drop by sometime."

"WAIT!" Karai mentally slapped her forehead. Why did she sound so dang desperate? "I'll think it over. Channel Six building at six o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late." Leo gave her a slight nod.

Karai caught his smirk right before she turned on her heel and let the shadows swallow her whole.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Water rippled around Karai as she leapt up to catch the first rung of the ladder up to the surface. One rung after the other, she made her way up.

 _Man, maybe Leo is right. Or he's being stupid. Am I the stupid one?_

She reached up to lift the manhole but a voice from above made her freeze in place. Someone was standing in whatever alleyway this was. And they were playing music at full blast. Karai strained to hear the lyrics and soon they echoed around her.

 _I never thought that You would be the one to hold my heart  
But you came around  
And you knocked me off the ground from the start_

She listened closer, enjoying the song. The only difference was she had knocked Leo off his feet. Literally. Suddenly she snapped her head up. Was she comparing the song to her life and Leo's? Oh she was way in the deep end.

 _You put your arms around me  
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go  
You put your arms around me and I'm home_

The lyrics wove the memory she had just shared in the tunnel with Leo.

 _How many times will let you me change my mind and turn around  
I can't decide if I'll let you save my life or if I'll drown_

 _I hope that you see right through my walls  
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling  
I'll never let a love get so close  
You put your arms around me and I'm home_

 _The world is coming down on me  
And I can't find a reason to be loved_

Karai shivered. This song was playing her life story.

 _I never wanna leave you  
But I can't make you bleed if I'm alone_

On her watch, Leo would never get hurt because of her. Maybe it was better to be alone.

 _You put your arms around me  
And I believe that it's easier for you to let me go_

Karai's face turned to stone as she shut out her emotions. It would be easier if she just walked away.

 _I hope that you see right through my walls  
I hope that you catch me, 'cause I'm already falling_

Who cared if she was falling? She could catch herself.

And Karai dropped to the sewer floor.

The men in the sewers, who were working on the tunnel a few yards down, would later report a 'girl made of shadows with a face of stone', walking out of the tunnel. That she had simply kept walking, never giving them a glance.

That she was made of concrete.

 _I'll never let a love get so close…_

 **A/N DOOONNNNNEEEE! Oh that feels so good. I just lost my notes to the other fan fiction II was writing so that was stuck in my head for the whole week. In case you were wondering the song Karai heard was "Arms" by Christina Perri. You should listen to it sometime. And thank you Sky for not getting bored by this story. Please R &R**


	11. Chapter 10: Recollections (Part One)

CHAPTER TEN

Recollections (Part One)

Hi! I just got my brand-new touch-screen laptop from High School. It is so cool! It also flips into a tablet and can turn vertically or horizontally. I LOVE IT! Seriously, this thing is so great! Sky if you are reading this, then you need to buy one of these things. You'll love it. I'm also thinking of PMing you the prologue to the new series I've been writing. Would you like to help me with those? Anyway, yeah, let's get this show on the road.

Water rippled around the only pair of feet wandering down the sewers, sloshing in the wake. Metal armor flashed in the occasional light, but mostly the figure's black clothing kept her hidden. Karai knew the humans had seen her. Knew that they were questioning what the heck a girl was doing strolling around in the deep tunnels. It didn't matter. They didn't know she was a mutant.

She huffed, her mind overcrowded with memories. Okay, she was willing to admit that she may have left out a few major details when she had told Leo about Splinter's death. Those were memories and thoughts that she would never share with him. Not in a million years.

Never.

The first memory flashed before her in a blaze, the flames flicking her face. Today it would have been...around eleven months or so ago. Karai stopped walking for a moment and let the sensations and sights from the past take over…

 _"Come on Leo! You can do better than that." Karai taunted her friend from where she stood in the middle of the dojo. She shifted from foot to foot, sandwiched in between Splinter and Leo. Splinter was teaching the lesson and Leo had tried to take her on from behind. She could almost see the mutant's face burning as she turned around. "I've had children sneak up on me."_

 _"OOHH LEO!" Mikey called. "You need ice for that burn?" Karai smirked. Leave it to Mikey. Leo refused to meet her gaze, his face a darker red than a cherry's. He was crouching slightly ready to spring again once he regained his composure._

 _"Mikey, you might want to make sure Raph isn't hiding your video games after the prank you pulled on him this morning." Leo muttered, hoping that Raph was doing just that. Anything to spare him from this embarrassment that only Karai could cause. Mikey's eyes widened and he whipped around, sprinting to save his precious entertainment center._

 _"Okay, that was just cruel." Leo shrugged. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed he looked past her and gave Splinter a slight nod._

 _"As long as they don't start brawling or bickering, they should be able to solve the problem themselves." Karai smirked as she leaned forward and placed a foot behind her, ready to run him over if he charged straight at her._

 _He did._

 _Karai met the icey blue eyes for a moment before she leapt over him. Her hand brushed his shoulder, but all of the sudden, he disappeared. Karai, now on her feet, searched wildly, but only caught Splinter's twitching gaze as he tried not to laugh._

 _"Where'd he go?" She asked, slightly raising her voice as she spun on her heel, trying to cover every side of her at once. "LEO! Not funny! Come out you little twerp!" Karai spun once more, making the mistake of turning her back on Splinter. Something swept her off her feet and she landed promptly on her stomach. Before Karai could get up, she felt Leo's knee pressing into her back. She lifted her head off the floor and glared at his face hovering above hers._

 _"Ha ha very funny." Leo smirked and Karai felt nothing short of dread creep over her. "Leo…"_

 _"Payback for yesterday." His small smile spread into a wild, wicked grin. Karai forced herself to remain calm. That smile...oh boy. Quickly, Leo snatched her up by the arms and dragged her out of the room. Splinter watched them leave with a mischievous gaze and then followed. If his daughter's loud threats and his adopted son's laughs were any indication, this would be good._

 _Karai tried to dig her heels in the floor as she was dragged along towards the entrance to the lair, threatening her friend the whole way._

 _"Leo! Let go!" She shrieked, although her voice trembled with barely concealed laughter. Leo looked down at her with a cheeky smile plastered on his face._

 _"No way. You ask for this."_

 _"Yes, I so asked to have my arms yanked out of their sockets."_

 _"It's all part of the fun."_

 _"Oh I feel so much better." Karai murmured. Leo glanced over his shoulder, looking back at her with a mischievous glint in his deep blue gaze. Frowning playfully, she twisted her head to see where they were going. Her eyes widened, her jaw going slack._

 _"Nu uh, no way. You wouldn't!" Leo chuckled, his eyes laughing right with him at her perilous position._

 _"Oh, believe me, I am." He picked up the pace, watching her mock horrified face surface_.

 _"NO LEO NO!" Karai thrashed in his grasp, desperately trying to escape. She was well aware that Leo's brother's had come out of their rooms to see what had caused all the noise. April emerged from the lab alongside Donnie and had to bite her fist from laughing at the spectacle. "Hey, one of you lazy beings! Get over here and get this thing to release me."_

 _"Sorry Karai." Raph said smiling, the grin taking up half his face as he leaned against the pillar next to the dojo steps. "Fearless doesn't take orders from me." Realizing she wasn't receiving any help from the brothers, she struggled harder._

 _"Never try to fight a ninja turtle." Leo whispered in her ear._

 _"Well noted." Karai muttered exasperated. "NOW GET YOUR THREE-FINGERED PAWS OFF OF ME YOU LITTLE…" She never got to finish her sentence because all of the sudden, Leo scooped her up bridal style. For the split few seconds Karai's head rested against his plastron, she could hear his heart thrumming. She enjoyed the rhythemic pulsing against her ear, liking the way it sounded. For a moment she forgot Leo's intentions._

 _Then she was flying._

 _That seemed to jar her memory. Karai hit the freezing water in an impressively graceful, but painful, face dive. She clawed at the water, thinking of the thousands of ways she could get back at Leo. She'd have to hire Mikey. Her head broke the surface, her ears pricking at the sound of laughter. Shivering slightly and crossing her arms, she glared at everyone on the lair, which only made them laugh harder. Karai knew she must have been a sight. She was dripping like a wet cat, her makeup streaming down her face in black and red rivers. The hair-do she had made that morning was a tattered mess, pressed in odd angles against her head._

 _Finally, Karai glared up at her friend, fighting to keep a smile under her pursed lips. Leo took one look at her and shook his head in amusement as he laughed. He crouched down and offered his hand._

 _"Payback successful." Karai grasped his hand, finally letting a wicked smirk surface._

 _"Payback backfired." She saw the flash of realization dawn on Leo's face a split millisecond before she pulled him into the ice-cold water. When he surfaced, eyes wide and mouth gaping, Karai let out a full laugh. The two of them pointed out each other's silliness, barely standing on two feet._

 _"Your hair..."_

 _"Your face..."_

 _"My face? What do you mean?"_

 _"My hair….well, that is understandable."_

 _"Cannonball!" Mikey yelped as he crashed into the water, splashing the duo._

 _"MIKEY!" They screeched in unison, ensuing a full-out splash war. Soon, the whole family, excluding Splinter, had jumped in and started spraying, jumping on, and harassing everybody else with the volume turned at 100% the cause of laughter. The pool had become the ultimate playground since then all because of a simple prank._

Karai smiled. She and Leo both caught a mild case of pneumonia after that, but it had all been worth it. She still remembered that while they had been confined in the lab, she and Leo would talk late into the night, discussing memories, Raph's temper, Ice cream kitty's mutation, and at one point they had argued for two hours whether April's hair was red or orange. Mock insults had flown, including some color-blind comments, but Karai never remembered a boring moment in those two weeks.

She sat down, content with reliving some of her favorite memories. Oh, like the time she and Mikey had tried to prank Splinter, not minding the threat of two extra hours of training. What fun that had been…

 _"I dunno Mikey." Karai whispered. "You think we can pull it off?" Mikey's wild grin seemed so bright compared to the beige paint on the walls of his room. Karai felt all doubt slowly ebb away with the smile. This was the master prankster! What could go wrong?_

 _"Trust me Karai. This will be EPIC!" He held his hand up, his enthusiastic voice booming around the boxed space. His burning cerulean eyes smiled at her as she grasped the hand tightly._

 _"Alright Mike." Karai whispered. "Let's go prank dad."_

 **Sorry that this chapter took so long. I thought I would include the other three memories and the rest of the second, but it was taking too long. If you would like a specific prank on Splinter for the second memory, please PM me your ideas. I love feedback. I know you guys are probably thinking 'why so many memories?' These are actually some of the last flashbacks I'm going to include in the story. And don't you guys worry. The action is coming soon.**


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